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Wainwright, Carpenter lead Cardinals over Padres

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals got just enough hitting to save Trevor Rosenthal.

Matt Carpenter homered, doubled and drove in three runs and Adam Wainwright tied for the major league lead with his 15th win in a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres 7-6 on Sunday.

“Our offense did a great job, put us all on their back,” Wainwright said.

The 24-year-old Rosenthal is among the major league leaders with 36 saves in 40 chances in his first season as closer. He walked the bases full with a strikeout in the ninth and Seth Maness gave up a two-run single to Abraham Almonte before earning his second save in two chances.

“We needed to get him some help,” manager Mike Matheny said. “We didn’t feel like we were going to sit around and watch too much without giving him a break.”

Three walks was a career worst for Rosenthal, who has walked five his last two appearances along with three hits and three runs in 1 1-3 innings. The hard-throwing righty and his manager believe it’s a timing issue and not about fatigue.

“Physically, everything feels pretty good,” Rosenthal said. “I think it’s just going to be narrowing the sights a little bit, or maybe not trying to do too much.”

Rosenthal is among the league leaders with 57 appearances.

“We’ve worked him pretty hard and we’re going to be very careful about how we move forward,” Matheny said. “We’re not afraid to use the other guys in our bullpen to pick up the games when he can’t.

“But as far as his role, he’s our closer.”

Jon Jay’s two-run single highlighted a four-run first inning when the Cardinals batted around against rookie Odrisamer Despaigne (3-4). Peter Bourjos and Tony Cruz each had an RBI single for St. Louis, which took three of four in the series.

Despaigne needed 37 pitches to get out of the first.

“He just couldn’t finish off any hitters,” manager Bud Black said. “He couldn’t get any of his pitches where he needed to get them.”

Carpenter’s two-run double off Tim Stauffer in the sixth made it a three-run cushion for Wainwright (15-7), who joined the Reds’ Johnny Cueto at 15 wins. Milwaukee’s Wily Peralta was seeking his 15th later Sunday.

Wainwright allowed three earned runs in seven innings with five strikeouts and one walk, overcoming a handful of rough patches. He hasn’t felt locked in for a while.

“It’s been a grind for over a month now,” Wainwright said. “I’m about ready for it to end.”

Wainwright is 5-0 at home with a 1.55 ERA against the Padres, so this was one of his stiffer tests.

“We did a nice job of laying off the breaking balls as the game went on,” Black said. “We put together some better swings.”

Alexi Amarista and Yangvertis Solarte had an RBI apiece in the San Diego fifth. Jake Goebbert had an RBI triple and scored on second baseman Kolten Wong’s wild relay as the Padres pulled within 5-4 in the sixth.

First baseman Matt Adams made a nice defensive stop to rob Seth Smith of a game-tying hit for the second out in the ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: 3B Solarte has started the last two games after missing a pair with a mild left oblique strain.

Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday got a day off with a minor knee problem, plus has been scuffling at the plate, going 0 for 18 the previous five games.

UP NEXT

Padres: Ian Kennedy (9-10, 3.54) and San Diego open a three-game set against the Dodgers’ Kevin Correia (1-0, 1.50).

Cardinals: Justin Masterson (6-7, 5.58) faces the Reds and Mike Leake (9-11, 3.59) on Monday. Masterson is coming off seven scoreless innings against the Marlins, the best of three starts since arriving at the trade deadline.

STRONG STROKE

Jay is 12 for 24 during a nine-game hitting streak and is batting .417 this month. Jay also was hit by a pitch four times in a span of five plate appearances on Friday and Saturday.

“He’s doing a nice job of getting on base, whether he’s a magnet or not,” Matheny said.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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